An analysis of serious case reviews in 2009-11 suggests overall child protection practices have improved, but highlights concerns about a minority of cases that were not investigated by social workers.

A Muslim doctor who ignored a judge's order to pay his former wife £60,000 maintenance has been told by the Court of Appeal that he cannot rely on Muslim tradition to absolve him of his financial responsibilities.

The Supreme Court has unanimously allowed the appeal of Hull City Council In T (Children) [2012] UKSC 36 against an award of costs, made by the Court of Appeal, in respect of a fact-finding hearing in care proceedings.

At 10.15, the Committee will take evidence from Martin Narey, who advises the Government on adoption policy. Immediately following, at 11.15, the Chief Executive of Adoption Matters Northeast, Norman Goodwin, will answer the Committee’s questions.

Proposals to change the law governing contact between children in care and their birth parents must not prevent children from maintaining relationships with other biological relatives, the Who Cares? Trust has warned.

The Government will today propose a change in the law as part of the continuing commitment to put children at the heart of the care and adoption system - based on proposals from the Government’s Advisor on Adoption Martin Narey.

The Chair of the Justice Select Committee, the Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith MP, has written to the Prime Minister in relation to the Government's proposals to change the Children Act 1989 in an attempt to promote shared parenting.

Government White Paper proposes appointment of principal social workers in every council and consultation on giving practitioners power to enter homes where abuse is suspected, but offers little money to address funding crisis.

Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons are committed to the introduction of a new joint inspection of multi-agency arrangements for the protection of children in England.

The Supreme Court in ANS and another v ML [2012] UKSC 30 has decided that s 31 of the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 (which is based on s 52 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002) is not incompatible with Article 8 of the ECHR.

These Regulations facilitate conclusion of the Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and other forms of Family Maintenance done at The Hague on 23 November 2007 (“the Convention”) by the European Union, pursuant to Council Decision 2011/432/EU on the approval, on behalf of the European Union, of that Convention. The Convention contains rules on recognition and enforcement of maintenance decisions between Contracting Parties, and administrative co-operation to facilitate the recovery of such maintenance.

In R (R and Others (Minors)) v CAFCASS [2012] EWCA Civ 853, the Court of Appeal has determined that CAFCASS does not have a statutory duty to each individual child to make an officer available immediately or within a short time.